Movable needle-shell



(No Hodel.)

I. P. LANQFITT. MOVABLE NEEDLE SHELL.

No. 415.719. Patented Nov. 26, 1889.

INVENTOR WITNESSES.

llnrrnn STATES ATENT El ment 7 MOVABLE N EEDLE SHELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 41?,719, dated November 26, 1889. Application filed February 18, 1889. Serial No. 300,242. (No modcld To all whom it may concern;

lie it known that I, FRANCIS P. LANGFITT, of Pittsburg, county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered a new and useful Improvement in Movable Necdle-Shclls; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in \vhich-likc letters indicating like parts- Figure l is a lace view of my improved shell having a movable needle placed in position therein for the purpose of exploding it and arranged for use. Fig. 2 is a view of the same, taken in longitudinal vertical section of Fig. 1, showing more in detail the mode of construction of my improved shell. Figs. 3, 4, an d 5 are cross-sections taken, respectively, on the lines x, g y, and of Fig. 2.

, My invention relates to the improvement of that form of explosive bombs or shells which is cylindrical in form and somewhat elongated" and having a conoidal point; and the object of my invention is to provide means by which the danger of premature explosions, either from carelessness in handling or other accidental cause, may be very much lessened or entirely avoided and at the same time the explosion of the shell may be insured at the desired time and place with a considerable degree of accuracy. I accomplish this result by the mode of construction which isherein further described, and pointed out in connection with the drawings.

Referring thereto, a, is the body of the shell as a whole. main parts Z,- and c, which are adapted to be fastened together by means of the ordinary threaded and screw connection. The back portion of the shell 1) is adapted to contain within its body a charge of explosive matter, which may he of powder or dynamite, or whatever may be thought best to use under the particular circumstance. This back portion tis elosed at its front end by means of the plug or stopper (Lwhich also screws into its place in the ordinary Way; Extending through the plug or stopper (1 and connecting upon the inner side with the explosive charge placed treretn is arranged the cartridge or This body is composed of two' cartridges c,which, upon being fired, explode the shell. Ordinarily one cartridge will be sufficient to produce this result; but, if desired, they may be arranged in groups of three or more. The front portion elf the shell v is pcrftn'ated longit-udiimlly, so as to make an opening extending from the point through the central part of the shell sutlicient in size to admit of the passage of a needle f. The two portions'of the shell I) and c and the position of the plug or stopper (l are so arranged and the needle f inserted or removably seated in the channel extending longitudinally through the front portion of the shell 0, and held therein by frictional contact with the walls of said channel, the needle will, when pushed clear in, bear directly upon the car- .tridge or cartridges 0 located in the plug or stopper (I. The needle If is of comparatively small size, but should be strong enough to avoid danger of bending when the projectile strikes the target, as its proper action requires that the force of the impact should be carried straight back against the cartridges which are located directly in its reaiz In order to insure accuracy an cer *inty of explosion of the cartridges, 1 inc. e the rear end of the needle slightly concave in crossscction, so as to present a son'iewhat sharp edge to the rim of the cartridge.

The operation of my improvement is as follows: As is well known to those accustomed to the use oi". this class of devices, all projectiles are assumed to sin ikc perpendicularly to the face of the target; consequently, when a pointed out and described is tired from as can- 'non or other weapon, the needle f will first strike the target and be driven back upon the cartridges 3, which will in turn be at once fired by the im pact upon them of the needle f. The firing of the cartridges will then of course produce the usual effect which is common to y the operation of'all explosive bombs or shells. The great merit oi my device consists in the provision of the detachable needle f, asjiy its use I can render the explosive shell as comparatively harmless as an ordinary bullet by simply removing the, needle; and Whenever the projectile is required for use "the needle relatively that when put together a whole shell constructed according to the mode herein can be inserted and placed in position at a moments notice.

Having thus described my invention,I clai n1 herein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States In a movable needle-shell, the combination, with the back and front portions thereof, of a needle in Ving a concaved rear end removably seated in the channel of the front portion of the shell and held therein by frictional con- 10 tact with the walls of said channel, snbstantially'as and for the purpose specified;

- In testimony whereof I have hereunto setmy hand. I FRANCIS P. LANGFITT. Witnesses: Y

Jos. R, MOQUAIDE, JoHN E. POTTER. 

